What Are You Doing To Improve Your Running?

In the wake of nonsense threads about doing as little as possible to get by, I thought it'd be fun to talk about the extra stuff we're doing to become better runners. From nutritional improvements to strength training, addressing running mechanics, adding mileage or anything else you're working on, what's your current focus and how's it going so far?

For myself, I'm having a blast reinventing my gait, which is nothing I'd recommend, but because I was off my game for so long it became the perfect opportunity to rework the machine. Been addressing so many areas: hip flexor, calf and ankle flexibility, glute/hip and core strength, footplant and armswing adjustments...lots! It's great fun and the Aha! moments are like gold nuggets, so incredibly satisfying. I've still got a ways to go but am so enjoying the process.

Now you. What are you working on right now and are you seeing results yet?

I'm with GIM -- trying lots of new things. Running the same miles and doing the other stuff I never did in the past. Definitely trying to reinvent and not become that stiff old guy who is slowing down.

I've switched to running 6 days a week (instead of 3 or 4) and am working on getting used to running higher volume and also varying workouts (not everything just at a 'moderate' intensity...some stuff easy, some stuff fast).

I can tell that I'm recovering much better. My weekly mileage is more than it was for my first marathon in May, but I'm never tired or sore. In fact, I get antsy on my one day off and end up doing long bike rides. Unfortunately, I've also turned insomniatic and just got up at 2am this morning to do my long run because I couldn't sleep.

The big test will be my 2nd half marathon in 5 weeks. Hoping to improve by 6+ minutes over my first one that was last March. Based on being able to hold my goal pace for a warmup + 7 mile pace/tempo run on Monday, I think I'll be able to hit it.

What I am doing: increased variety. I raced several miles this summer, experimented w/ doubles, hilly LRs, more diverse workouts and weekly routines. I've learned a bunch, not sure I've benefited from it yet.

What I still need to do more of, more routinely: strength, core, foam roll, AIS, yoga, eat better...

I have been training hard with the cross-country team I help coach. We don't have many senior girl runners. There is one who is fast so I try to run a fast pace to help prep her for our city championship. She beat me by 10 seconds yesterday in a race simulation. We train 3 days a week on sandy trail with a big hill climb. It is brutal but does the trick to prep our athletes for the competitions. Last year I didn't get to run as much because it was twice a week only and one day the head coach would run with the kids and the next time I would. He is coming back from an injury so the first 3 weeks he didn't run at all and had to drive to the trail head while we ran over. Allows me to run hard with the runners.

And I am doing 800 repeats every week. I am up to 4X800. The track at my school was under construction for a year and was finally reopened on Sept 6th I think.

Plus running way more than I was last year at this same time when I was prepping for my first marathon. Now I am prepping for a goal HM and my mileage is higher than it was for my last two marathons!

Oh and I have been doing both midfoot striking and heel to toe. I run midfoot in VFFs and my altras and run heel to toe in my other shoes by asics, reebok, adidas and hoka but now I find myself doing midfoot strikes in those shoes without intending too. I like running both ways but midfoot is slowly taking over.

I wake up every weekday morning (5 days a week) with 100 sit-ups and 100 push-ups, and then do 30-45 minutes on my Nordic Track Ski machine. I've been doing this for over 30 years, I'm on my 3rd Nordic track.

I cycle at least 10 miles immediately after every run. I try to get 70-120 cycling miles in each week. If it's raining or in-climate weather, I'll do extra weights or ski machine instead. I'm thinking of getting a spin bike for the winter. I like going on longer rides (30-50 miles) early on a weekend morning.

I lift weights 5 hours a week (hour long sessions, usually in the evening). Mostly lower weight, higher rep circuit type training. I stretch/roll after every weight lifting session.

I try to take every Sunday off completely, unless it's a race day. If so, I'll take Saturday off.

I mix a protein recovery shake after every run/bike, and weigh session.

Running for a long time in shoes, I decided to go the barefoot route. My gait improved, my speed improved, and running longer distances became easier. So barefoot running sparked a new love for running for me, and provided me with improvements all around.

Frank: Congrats on the third! My wife is pregnant with our 3rd right now, running next year will certainly slow down, it's all good though.

1. A little more mileage and a little slower pace for most of them. 2. I've been mainly a morning runner for a couple years now, and though it is a wonderful way to get in the miles I always found the first couple miles (at least) to be drudgery in that dopey, not-fully-awake state. I've been a coffee drinker most of my life, but never took the time to have any before my weekday AM runs. I decided on a whim recently to have just a small cup prior to heading out, and what a difference! We got one of those "k cup" machines, so it's very quick and easy to make a small cup. May sound trivial, but it really has improved the quality of my early runs.

On my current training cycle I boosted average volume from 39 mpw to 61 mpw. Seeing big results so far, with PRs in the 5K, 10K and HM. The real test will come this Sunday with my marathon though, as lack of endurance was the main shortcoming I was trying to address with the mileage increase.Other than that, I continue to work on performance weight management. An ongoing problem has been that I allow myself to gain too much weight in between training cycles, with the result that it’s very difficult to return to an optimum weight for intensive training and racing.

Training for my first marathon next month. Always have gotten injured during the year at least once. Focused on more running specific strength training, core/balance, slowing down on long runs and faster cadence. The shorter strides have definitely helped. I've gone farther in both time and miles than I ever have before so I'm really excited about my progress. I got running snowshoes last year plus spikes for my winter shoes so hopefully I can maintain most of my mileage thru the winter.

I should be trying much more, but after recapturing the love for running I am just trying to cram as many cycles I can in a year. After much quasi Hudson work, the new thing is now trying a Canova based philosophy which seems to center around more miles and more miles at higher (around MP) pace... More is more! Going forward I would like to tackle raw speed and strength, but will save that till after this cycle.

Doing recovery runs, hill runs, tempo runs, and alactic sprints in stead of just going running day after day. Shoulder surgery has kept me out of the weight room, but I had been doing strength training for my legs. It helped a real lot with injury prevention and I will get back to it when I'm cleared to lift bigger weights.

finally understood the need and the pace for easy and recovery runs. will start taper next week and i didn't have any issue with injuries during this cycle. fells like i have trained correctly for the first time although this is my 4th marathon. i will PR even if a tornado hits. hell, throw me a sharknado and i will PR the same way.

Increased mileage this cycle - averaging 70-75 mpw, rather than 55-60 mpw. Running daily, with doubles at least once per week. Also, the increased running is helping me drop a few pounds as well. I missed BQ by 2 minutes in my spring marathon. Here's to hoping with cooler weather, more favourable course, higher mileage, and lighter weight I can clear that BQ target with ease!

Since July, I've been rebuilding base miles after Achilles tendon surgery in March. Now at ~50 mpw, want to get to a steady 60 for 6-8 weeks before specific training. 14 months since the injury, 8 before surgery and 6 after; feels so good to run again! Easy pace is dropping almost weekly.

Plan to take my weight down gradually another 15 pounds, after 22 down in 2012 and keeping it off while injured.

Doing a lot of work on form, similar stuff to GIM - and also have a long way to go. But I'm seeing positives already. Continuing the exercises prescribed for A.T, rehab.

I realized last winter when i was injured that "just running" doesn't cut it. To maintain your leg muscles you have to work them hard in the gym.

Yes, this means that I run for the next couple of days on sore legs. But a few weeks after starting that routine, I saw a 2-3s reduction in my 200m times. I believe it's also useful for marathoners as it strengthens the legs for these last 6M...and it's an insurance policy against injury.

I started running more miles last year in preparation for a great race year this year. I also added in 1 day of quality (up from no days of quality). So a tempo, interval, hill, something to break up the slow and easy every day of the week. So far it's working as I've had pretty large PRs this year.

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